Rabbi Shumel Rabinowitz, Rav of the Kotel and the Holy Sites, on Sunday asked the leaders of the Muslim community to restrain radical elements among the Muslim population who are likely to attempt to interfere with the opening of the Hurva synagogue in the Old City. The rebuilt synagogue is set to be inaugurated in a ceremony on Monday. The synagogue has been restored to its state before 1948, when it was destroyed by the Jordanians in the War of Liberation.
“Since the liberation of Jerusalem, the Old City has been a prime example of coexistence between the three large religions,” said Rabbi Rabinowitz. “Synagogues, mosques and churches exist side by side, and a full religious life takes place inside the city walls. It would be a shame to mar the happiness of the ceremony reopening the Hurva synagogue,” he said.